Trial against ex-Lankan minister begins over the 1987 Choolaimedu shootout

The trial in the nearly three decade- old murder case in which former Sri Lankan Minister Douglas Devananda is an accused commenced on Monday at a Chennai court.

The trial began with the examination of witnesses before IVth Additional Sessions Judge M Shanti.

Examining witness Gurumurthy, the Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) questioned him whether he would be able to identify the accused, to which the former replied in the affirmative.

Following this, the APP filed a memo seeking a clarification from the court whether Devananda should be produced in the court personnaly or appear through video conferencing for identification by the witness.

The court then adjourned the trial to February 1,2016.

Devananda, then a member of Eelam People s Revolutionary Front, is the third accused in the 1987 shootout at Choolaimedu here in which one person was killed. All nine accused in the case were arrested but absconded after being released on bail.

A non-bailable warrant had been issued against Douglas, who later became a minister in the Mahinda Rajapakse government.